The final episode of Mutsuo's Tattoo Age 3-part feature is now online, and it's a fascinating -- and very personal -- look into the Osaka-based artist. He takes us on a tour of local temples and shares his feelings on spirituality, happiness, and family -- and we are introduced to his loved ones in the video as well.

Another interesting aspect is the issue of prejudice against the tattooed, which still lingers today in Japanese society (and many other cultures), as evidenced by prohibitions on showing tattoos in some bathhouses and beaches, among other public spaces. The legalities of the art are muddied as well.

I've been looking forward to Wednesdays for each new episode of Vice's Tattoo Age video series. With all the reality TV shows, I consider it a tattoo cleanse. The episode that dropped today is Part 2 of the three-part feature on Mutsuo of Three Tides Tattoo.

You gotta see it, but I'll tell you my personal highlights. First, what Tattoo Age has been doing is showing not just telling you about the artists featured, through their personal interactions and filming how they usually live day-to-day. It opens with a sweet interaction between Mutsuo and a woman who works at a noodle shop he's eating at. It's very telling about the artists' personality. Of course, you do have his friends (and colleagues) like Masa, who owns the shop, and Chris Garver, who does regular guest spots, talking highly about Mustuo. And revealing stories of drunken nights. It's all fun. But there's also a lesson about how one becomes a renowned tattooist. In Mutsuo's case, it's not just about dedication but the education he received from those talented artists around him like Horitomo, and guests from around the world including Garver, Chris Trevino, Adrian Lee, and Grime. It explains why his portfolio is so incredibly diverse.

Mutsuo joined Three Tides in 1999. There's an interesting discussion about the evolution of the shop itself, which Garver says will go down in history as one of those "legendary shops." He further explains how Three Tides was the first "Western-style shop" in Osaka, with the goal of becoming like the best shops in America.

Perhaps, the greatest highlight for me was seeing footage of the 1999 Tokyo convention. Damn, everyone looked so young! The convention is discussed as a turning point of tattoo culture in Japan when the art became open to different artistic styles.

It opens with a great quote from Chris Garver (which was also in the trailer), about Mutsuo receiving a "90s style tattoo education" -- that is, taking every request that walked in the door and learning the skills to master the different tattoo styles requested by clients. The fact that he was mentored by all the shop's artists and guest artists played a big role in developing these skills as well. As Garver says, "He's a maverick." The footage is also a great peak into the daily life at Three Tides Tattoo.

What's particularly interesting about Mutsuo, as discussed in the trailer, is that he's skilled in a variety of genres -- black & grey, old school, new school, traditional Japanese... Chris Garver remarks that his tattoo dexterity is rooted in the "90's style tattoo education" in which Mutsuo learned from all the artists, including guest tattooers, at the renowned Three Tides Tattoo studio. Vice notes that he "went from being one of the shop's first customers, to the shop's first apprentice, to the most senior artist there." Looking forward to learning more about this progression.

Vice TV's fantastic video series, "Tattoo Age," is coming back for a second season with promises of more kickass artist profiles.
The line-up includes the legendary Thom Devita, Japan's Mutsuo of Three Tides Tattoo, and London's Valerie Vargas, the first woman tattooist profiled on the series.

The first episode goes online next week. Here's more info from Vice:

First up, on September 12, we have Valerie Vargas, who lives and works
in London and is widely know for doing the most beautiful "lady head"
tattoos around. Then on October 10 we have Mutsuo, a tattooer from
Osaka, Japan, who learned from the great American artists who traveled
to the shop where he worked in the early 00s. Mutsuo is known for his
ability to flawlessly tattoo in just about any style. The season finale,
on November 10, will feature Thom deVita, who started tattooing in New
York City in the 60s, when tattooing was illegal in all five boroughs.
Thom synthesized his environment into his tattoos and created quite
possibly the most unique style of all time.

We'll be posting the videos as they go live so you don't miss an episode.